corrosive

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adjective cor·ro·sive \kə-ˈrō-siv, -ziv\

Definition of corrosive

1 : tending or having the power to corrode corrosive acids corrosive action the corrosive effects of alcoholism
2 : bitingly sarcastic corrosive satire

corrosive

noun

corrosively

adverb

corrosiveness

noun

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Examples of corrosive in a Sentence

She argues that racism is dangerous and corrosive to society.
a corrosive satire on the fashion industry and its movers and shakers

Recent Examples of corrosive from the Web

The ravages of time Populism isn’t necessarily a toxin to the body politic, but some strains can prove corrosive.

— uri friedman, The Atlantic, "How Populism Helped Wreck Venezuela", 4 June 2017
That just opens you up to all of the corrosive behaviors in the emotional closet, like competitiveness, bean-counting, jealousy, insecurity, possessiveness.

— carolyn hax, Philly.com, "Learning to play nicely with beloved stepson's parents", 3 June 2017
Some components on the Dragon were replaced, notably the heat shield and components that were exposed to corrosive seawater.

— kenneth chang, New York Times, "Fruit Flies and Mice to Get New Home on Space Station, at Least Temporarily", 2 June 2017
El Akkad demonstrates a profound understanding of the corrosive culture of civil war, the offenses that give rise to new hypocrisies and mythologies, translating terrorists into martyrs and acts of despair into feats of heroism.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Omar El Akkad's 'American War' blends 19th-century hatreds, 21st-century weapons", 30 May 2017
The report, which was released to The Bee in its entirety, says that while no detectable volatile organic compounds were found in the air, the corrosion in the stockrooms indicates corrosive vapors.

— diana lambert, sacbee, "A Sacramento State chemical spill has lab techs questioning their workplace safety", 28 May 2017
There's only one way to insulate the US from the corrosive power of oil, and that's to develop an alternative energy resource that's readily available domestically.

— peter schwartz and doug randall, WIRED, "How Hydrogen Can Save America", 1 Apr. 2003

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'corrosive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.